Letter and paper holder



July 7, 1925.

J. N. MANLEY ET AL.

LETTER AND PAPER HOLDER Filed March 22. 1923 5 f6 r 5J6 4 0a Z aGUM/"e139 rock shafts having crank arms 11 which extend oppositely fromthe arms 8 and are connected by links 12 with the operating member 7. Inthe preferred form of construction, the parts 8, 10 and 11 are formed bybending wire in the manner shown and the pivotal connections between thelinks 12 and the arms 11 are established by bending suitable eyes 13therein. In connecting the lower ends of the links 12 with the operatingmember 7, we prefer to secure a length of wire 1 1- to the lower side ofsaid member, extending the ends of this wire forwardly and laterally andconnecting them with the links by interengaged eyes 16.

In the preferred form of construction, coil springs 17 are wound aroundthe rock shafts 10 for turning them in such a manner as to swing thearms 8 normally downward and we prefer to groove the inner opposed sidesof the tray asindicated at 18 to receive said springs and shafts.Appropriate bearings 19 may be inset in widened portions 20 of thegrooves 18 and these bearings may well be formed by winding strips ofmetal as shown in Fig. 3. For retaining the shafts 10 and associatedparts in proper position upon the sides of the tray, wooden strips 21may be secured to said sides and grooved wherever necessary, said stripsbeing formed with notches 22 in which the arms 8 may swing.

By providing a device constructed in the manner shown and described, orin a similar manner, a device is provided which will be highly efficientand desirable for the purposes intended. A letterhead and a second sheetmay be withdrawn from the cabinet in a single operation for the writingof a letter or the like and when the work is completed, it is simplynecessary to depress the shelf section or operating member 7 therebyswinging the arms 8 upwardly to the dotted line position shown inFig. 1. Then, the work may be inserted in the tray and when pressureupon the member 7 is relieved, the arms 8 will descend and hold thesheets of paper in place.

As excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, thesedetails may well be followed. However, within the scope of the inventionas claimed, numerous minor changes may be made, forv instance in thenumber of pigeon holes used and the general design and appearance of thedevice.

lVe claim:

1. A paper holding device comprising a tray to receive sheets of paper,said tray having a permanently open front end, a vertically movableself-lowering paper holder mounted to hold sheets of paper on the traybottom, a substantially horizontal operating member at said open frontof the tray norinally forming a continuation of the tray bottom andmovable downwardly from its normal position, and connecting meansbetween said paper holder and said operating member for raising theformer when the latter is depressed from its normal substantiallyhorizontal position.

2. A paper holding device comprising an open ended tray, a rock shaftextending along one side of said tray and having a paper holding arm,means for turning said rock shaft and holding said paper holding arm inan operative position, and means whereby said shaft may be turned toraise said paper holding arm.

3. A paper holding device comprising an open ended tray, a rock shaftextending along one side of said tray and having a paper holding arm, adepressible operating member at the open end of said tray, andconnecting means between said operating member and said rock shaft forturning the latter to raise said paper holding arm.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3, said connecting means comprisinga crank arm on the rock shaft and linkage connecting said crank arm withsaid operating member.

5. A paper holding device comprising an open ended tray to receivesheets of paper, said tray having a depressible operating member at itsopen end, a rock shaft extending along one side of said tray, said rockshaft having a paper holding arm and having a crank arm at its frontend, a link depending from said crank arm at the front end of the tray,a duplicate'of said rock shaft, paper holding arm, crank arm and link atthe opposite side of the tray, and a length of wire secured to saidoperating member and having outwardly bent ends connected with the lowerends of said links.

6. A paper holding device comprising a tray having a longitudinal groovein the inner face of one of its side walls, a rock shaft and a rotatingspring therefor confined in said groove, the outer end of said shafthaving means whereby it may be turned against the action of said spring,a paper holding arm extending from the inner end of said rock shaft, anda strip secured to said side of the tray and retaining said spring androck shaft in said groove.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6, said groove having widenedportions, and bearings for said rock shaft received in said portions.

8. A typists holder for letterheads second sheets and completed work,comprising a horizontally disposed cabinet having twoopposed verticalside walls and a vertical back wall, a shelf secured between the lowerportions of said side walls to support letterheads, a second shelfsecured between said side walls above the first shelf to supportv secondsheets, and a third shelf above said first and second shelves, saidthird shelf being secured between said-side walls in down wardly spacedrelation with the upper exopen forinsertion'and removal of the sheetstremities of the side and back walls, said to be supported thereby.

third shelf co-operating with the upper porw hav h r nto 1'0 tions ofsaid side and back walls in forming an open-topped tray for completedwork, the space between the aforesaid side walls at the front ends ofthe shelves, being entirely In testimony whereof affixed our signatures.

JASPER NOLEN MANLEY. PAUL YOUREE ISBELL.

